Position players join rest of team in Goodyear

The Cincinnati Reds are now a full squad in Goodyear, Ariz., with position players now joining the pitchers and catchers who have been there since Thursday.

One of the players that had already made the trip a few days before was nearly traded on Monday. Jay Bruce was linked to a three-team trade that would have sent him north of the border, but a player in the deal did not pass a physical, putting the deal on hold. The Reds had similar issues when a story broke of a domestic dispute involving Aroldis Chapman which nixed his trade to the Dodgers. Second baseman Brandon Phillips had all but packed for Washington D.C., but a snag in trade involving money owed to Phillips kept the Gold Glover in Cincinnati for now.

Not only will the Reds be breaking camp without Chapman, but also fan favorite Todd Frazier, who’ll now be manning the hot corner for the White Sox. Eugenio Suarez will be tasked with replacing the Home Run Derby Champ to fill one of the voids defensively for the Reds in 2016.

The most interesting race this spring will be for the left field spot. Adam Duvall, Jake Cave, and Scott Schebler are just three of the players who will get a chance for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Duvall played in the final month for the Reds after coming over in the Mike Leake trade. Schebler came over from the Dodgers along with Jose Peraza in the three-team trade that sent Frazier to Chicago. Cave was snagged from the Yankees organization in the Rule 5 draft in December.

Health will be another thing to keep an eye out for during spring training as Devin Mesoraco (hip), Zack Cozart (leg) and Billy Hamilton (shoulder) are all recovering from injuries that cut their seasons short in 2015. Cozart and Mesoraco appear ready to go, but Hamilton says he’s still not at 100 percent heading into spring.

The Reds didn’t go out and sign any big free agents like they had in the off-season, instead looking inside the system for their non-roster invitees. Jesse Winker and Phil Ervin will also have a shot at making the team in left field. Reds fans will get their first look at prospects Eric Jagielo (no.9) and Alex Blandino (no. 11). Overall the Reds will have 13 of their top 30 prospects at camp, including the the top three in Peraza, pitcher Robert Stephenson, and Winker.

Here’s a full list of the Reds position players (not including catchers) that will joining the team in Goodyear, Ariz.